The Blood is the Life
by Arthur Delapore
Summary: Jonathan Harker, Dr. Seward, and Quincey Morris journey back to Transylvania in search of Mina's missing sister. On the way, they meet a mysterious stranger who may or may not know the secret of her fate...Read and Review


The Blood is the Life

Episode One: A Stranger in Our Midst

The doorbell rang and Jonathan Harker, a tall slender pallid youth, quickly rose from his desk. His wife Mina, a dark-haired woman with lovely hazel eyes, was already brushing the curtains of the window overlooking the driveway of their house aside to see who their callers could be.

"It's Quincey Morris and Dr. Seward!" she declared. "Jonathan--and we thought Quincey was dead!"

Jonathan rushed towards the door, drew the bolt back, and gazed in astonishment and joy at his two old friends. "Jack!" he cried to Dr. Seward. And to Quincey: "Old Quincey Morris! I thought you were dead!"

Quincey Morris, the volatile Texan whom he had met a year ago, and who had presumably died in the snows of Romania, grinned amiably past his flamboyant moustache. "Well, here I am! And how are you and your wife doing?"

"I'm doing well enough, thank you," Mina said with a demure smile. "Now why don't you two come inside, instead of standing out on the doorstep like a pair of carolers?"

"Quite right, quite right," Dr. Seward polished his gold-rimmed spectacles on a corner of his waistcoat and blinked at Mina and Harker. "Er, Harker, I'd like to speak to you in your study, if you don't mind. Don't want to upset the missus, you understand."

"Oh, of course," Jonathan said, a little doubtfully, wondering what the doctor could be talking about. "Follow me." He closed the front door behind his two friends and led them into his modest little study.

Quincey and Seward sat in two cramped chairs next to the dying hearth, and Seward glanced at Jonathan before clearing his throat. "Ahem--Harker. The reason I didn't want to speak about this matter in front of your wife was because it has to do with something--someone--extremely close to her. You know, of course, that her sister Josephine hasn't responded to any of the letters that your wife has addressed to her..."

"Are you talking about Mina's sister Josephine?" Jonathan stared. "She's probably not writing back because she's been very busy these last few months. She moved from London to a place called Arkham in Massachusetts--"

"All the way to the States? Dear me," Dr. Seward murmured.

"Yes, well, as you can see, it's nothing serious," Jonathan finished.

"I'm afraid that it might be serious," Quincey said in his customary drawl. "You see, we found out that your wife's sister, for some reason, decided to travel to Romania of all place--and not just Romania: Transylvania. And she's disappeared off the map."

"What do you mean?" Jonathan said, his face pale.

"We mean that the Count may have something to do with her disappearance," Dr. Seward said gravely. "We can't know for sure, but do you really want to take a chance?"

"I guess you're right," Jonathan admitted. "It's too much of a coincidence." He rose and faced his two old friends. "When should we leave?"

"That's the spirit, Harker!" Dr. Seward said with a smile, also rising. "We'll leave tonight. We mustn't waste any time whatsoever."

Jonathan took a deep breath. "You're right. Will we take a steamer bound for Romania?"

"Of course," Dr. Seward replied. "Tell your wife as much as you can without worrying her too much, and then we'll leave."

* * *

Jonathan Harker, Dr. John Seward, and Quincey Morris stood on the prow of the bobbing steamer, watching the first evening stars spark in the misty night sky. Mina stood on shore, waving with her white handkerchief.

"I hate having to leave her like this without hardly an explanation," Jonathan said angrily.

"It would be worse to leave her worrying," Dr. Seward reminded him.

"Why didn't you decide to take her?" Quincey asked.

Dr. Seward gave him a look. "Remember last time? We don't want to give the Count another chance to attack her soul. It's dangerous enough that we three must face him again."

"Why didn't you call Dr. Van Helsing and ask him to come along?" Jonathan asked.

"I did," Dr. Seward replied. "But he was busy with some case in the Netherlands and he couldn't reply."

"That's a piece of bloody bad luck," Jonathan swore. "Well, hopefully we won't make fools of ourselves this time. We've seen the weapons the Count uses; we should be able to fight him."

The steamer was already drifting away from London's shore into the dark sea and the three men turned away and headed towards the deck of the ship.

"How many other passengers are on this ship?" Dr. Seward asked Quincey in a low voice.

"I don't know," Quincey replied. He glanced around the deck of the ship for a sign of the captain. But the only person in sight was a shadowed figure leaning against the railing of the steamer and gazing down into the churning, black depths of the sea. As if he sensed that they were staring at him, the person looked up with watchful, wary eyes.

Dr. Seward, feeling a little uneasy in the silence that seemed to have fallen over the ship, said, "Excuse me, I don't think we've been introduced to you, sir."

The stranger smiled slightly. He was a dark-haired young man with cold, grey eyes and a wistful look about him. However, Jonathan Harker couldn't help but sense that there was something perhaps coldly calculating about his glance as well. He seemed to be appraising them in a calm, measured, almost impersonal manner.

"Well, I don't believe I have been introduced to you three either," the stranger said; his voice was light and soft, but with a hint of irony.

Dr. Seward looked embarrassed. "I am Dr. Seward," he said with dignity. "This is Jonathan Harker and this other fellow is Quincey Morris."

"Ah..." the stranger said, and remained silent.

"You're a passenger on this boat, I suppose?" Jonathan asked, a little hesitantly, for he still felt that there was something strange about the young man.

"Yes, I suppose I am," the stranger said musingly.

"And where are you headed?" Quincey put in.

"The same place you three are headed, I suppose," the stranger replied. "Romania."

"Why are you going there?" Jonathan asked sharply.

The stranger glanced with a fleeting smile at his three amateur cross-examiners. "To research village superstitions," he replied drowsily. "I'm afraid I can't answer any more of you or your two friends' questions tonight, however -- though I must say, I am very flattered that you three take such an interest in my activities! -- but I have to go to my room now and catch some sleep. Besides, by the time morning comes, perhaps you'll be able to think up more questions for me to answer. Until then, however, good night." And with a curt nod, he left the deck and went down below to the private cabins.

Seward, Quincey, and Jonathan exchanged uneasy glances.

"Jonathan, why were you interrogating that fellow like that?" Dr. Seward blinked. "Why, I wouldn't be surprised if he was highly offended!"

"There was something odd about that man," Jonathan said, though he too felt a little uneasy as to whether his questions had been unnecessary. "I don't know...maybe I was being paranoid. I just felt curious about why he was here."

"I doubt he has anything to do with Josephine's disappearance," Quincey said reassuringly.

Jonathan shook his head, but followed his friends downstairs below deck to their separate cabins. He tried to reassure himself that for now, anyway, there was nothing to worry about. And yet, when he happened to look up, he noticed the stranger standing farther down the hallway; and as he hurried into his cabin, he sensed the stranger's watchful gaze.


End file.
